Principals matter – they have a strong effect on school climate and culture, teacher quality and satisfaction, and school context and community.

Based on multiple research studies principal leadership is second only to teacher quality as the single most important factor in improving student learning and organizational performance.

Unfortunately, current principal evaluation systems are inadequate because they do not address the key practices that principals engage in to improve and transform student learning and their schools.

Across the United States, principal evaluation practices and policies are being redesigned following the path of teacher effectiveness and teacher evaluation with a significant number of states making changes.

Researchers and policy makers alike acknowledge that principal evaluation systems are problematic because they are not aligned with professional standards; they are inconsistently administered; they are not implemented in ways that maximize rating consistency and validity; and they have minimal impact on principals’ practices and sense of accountability.

This seminar will explore the current trends and issues in principal evaluation to help Alaskan school leaders keep abreast of potential changes on the horizon.

Seminar objectives include:

Analyze trends and issues reflected in policy and procedural changes regarding principal evaluation across the United States.

Identify the key components of principal leadership that should form the basis for improving the frameworks and designs of principal evaluation systems.

Examine emerging models for redesigning principal evaluation systems that consider the domains, dimensions, and measurement issues for creating new policies and practices in principal evaluation.

Discuss implications of these trends and issues for local district and state-level policies and procedures in Alaska.